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Reviews
Superman (1988)
A Forgotten Gem of a Series
Nobody really remembers this animated Superman series because it only lasted for about 2 months. It was a twenty minute episode followed by a five minute "Smallville Journal" that told something about Superman's youth. This was the only time any series has even remotely attempted to remain close to the comic book.
Topsy-Turvy (1999)
Fabulous
One of the ten best movies of 1999 (and that was one good year, mind you)Topsy Turvy tells the story of Gilbert and Sullivan's writing of the operetta "The Mikado." It is also one of the wittiest movies I have ever seen.
What makes this movie great is not only the biting wit that resonates throughout the movie, but also the fabulous art direction. It is simply one of the best looking movies ever made.
The movie contains many songs from various Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, each masterfully staged in a way that just isn't done anymore.
But I think the best part of this movie is the insults delivered by the main character. Not that the insult itself is so great, but it is always preceded with a compliment (i.e., I love your work, but . ..).
This is one fabulous movie and I would recommend it to anyone who likes good movies.
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Tried (and failed) to mix hipness with traditionalism
Boys Don't Cry was not a BAD movie, per se, but the way it was presented by director Kimberly Peirce turned a good movie into a mediocre one.
Yes, Hilary Swank was very good in her portrayal of young (Teena) Brandon (Teena?), but she was surely not better than Annette Bening in American Beauty (who she beat for the Oscar). Granted, there were a few scenes in which she was very good, but Swank was rewarded more for her character than her performance.
No, the movie was not quite historically accurate, but I don't expect that from a movie. My problem with the film was not the historical inaccuracies, including a lack of several key people involved in Brandon's life, and the presence of Chloe Sevigny's character in Brandon's death scene. Facts of true life stories have to be changed in order to keep a tight plot and keep the viewer interested, so I can forgive the inaccuracies.
What I have a hard time forgetting is the forced "hipness" throughout the movie. The speeding lights flying across the highway at the beginning of the film, and the lights flying more quickly than normal across Chloe Sevigny's face at the end of the film, seemed out of place in a traditionally styled character study.
And the characters in this film felt forcedly developed. John especially felt like a forced revelation throughout the film, as if his character was developed simply for the fact that it was developed. It reminded me of the CN tower in Toronto, which is the tallest building in the world for no reason other than to be the tallest building in the world.
So, Boys Don't Cry was a mediocre movie. It was not bad, by any means, but it also was not very good. It was wrecked by the indie film aspect of it, an aspect which felt forced.
RKO 281 (1999)
The Best Made-for-TV Movie about the Best Movie Ever Made
Once I heard about this movie, I felt that I needed to see it. It was about the making of Citizen Kane, widely called the greatest movie ever made, and it featured John Malkovich, one of my personal favorite actors.
The movie was excellent. It had both drama and humor (who knew that's what Rosebud was all about!!) and the entire cast was convincing. It is too bad that the same week this was previewed, Citizen Kane's only Oscar went up for sale.
I hope that this movie makes it to video quickly so those who do not have HBO are able to watch it.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Second Best Movie of the Year
It has been years since we, the moviegoing public, has seen a year as filled with great cinema as 1999. First The Matrix, then The Sixth Sense, the cartoon The Iron Giant, my favorite movie of all time American Beauty, the raging Fight Club, and now, Being John Malkovich. Never have I seen such a creative concept for a movie. And the entire series of plot twists that make the entire movie one huge jumble of plots and stories. And right at the center is John Horatio Malkovich.
The story is so original and absurd it is hard to believe anyone could think of it: A puppeteer/file clerk finds a doorway into John Malkovich's head, in which you can see the world through John Malkovich's eyes for fifteen minutes. The clerk teams up with a beautiful coworker, who his wife ends up falling in love with. And the coworker loves the wife-when the wife is inside of John Malkovich. Saying anymore would wreck the movie experience, but there is one scene, with the Million Malkoviches, that blew me away.
10 out of ten.
American Beauty (1999)
My New Favorite Film
I just returned from seeing what may be the best movie since Schindler's List. American Beauty is funny, powerful, tragic, and it leaves an impression that will take weeks to wear off.
Why is American Beauty so great? Is it the smooth transitions from comedy to tragedy? Or is it Kevin Spacey's performance, which may even top that of The Usual Suspects and Seven?
From Thora Birch's opening lines to the close of the movie, which is both chaotic and peaceful, the movie leaves the viewer mesmerized. Sam Mendes' direction is perfect.
Trying to describe the plot of American Beauty would be like trying to tell someone's life story in a sentence. But it is the story of a miserable man who tries to become happy again. And while the story may sound told, it is not the story but the script that makes it seem fresh again.
Rumors say that American Beauty may be too dark to have an Oscar chance, but I hope not. I hope the academy recognizes all involved with this film. It is truly great.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Not Bad
All the critics have been bashing this film, but I enjoyed it. The special effects were amazing (of course), but also, I found there to be no lacking of plot, as many reviewers will have you believe. The acting was also good, contrary to what the reviewers say. The computer graphics characters interact well with the real actors, especially Watto, a fly-like junk dealer. Overall a good movie.